"Shops along the main street at least pay some attention to their facades so they look less shabby, but when you look down from above, all the roofs are made of boards. Some shops have leaks every year, and the basic facilities themselves are old, so we need to push ahead with redevelopment as soon as possible."
On the 11th, a person surnamed Lee in their 60s, who runs a business at Sewoon Shopping Center in front of Jongmyo in Jongno District, Seoul, where debate over pushing redevelopment is intensifying, said, "Just like Sewoon Zones 2–3, the aging of Sewoon Zone 4 is severe."
Sewoon Shopping Center, once called the "mecca" of Korea's electronics and electrical industry in the 1970s, has been aging rapidly as it reaches 57 years since construction. Although paint was reapplied, it could not hide cracks throughout the building. Stains from water leaks on the exterior walls also stood out.
◇ Sewoon Zone 4 and Sewoon Shopping Center, redevelopment delayed for 20 years
More than 20 years have passed since redevelopment was initiated for Sewoon Zone 4, including Sewoon Shopping Center, but maintenance has faced difficulties because it sits in front of Jongmyo, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Sewoon Zone 4 is 173–199 meters from Jongmyo, so it is not within the preservation area. However, due to opposition from agencies such as the Korea Heritage Service on grounds that it could harm the outward view from Jongmyo, the maintenance project for Sewoon Zone 4 has failed to gain speed. Lowering the building height through redevelopment reduced business feasibility, which was also one of the factors delaying the project.
Redevelopment of Sewoon Zone 4 appeared to gain momentum recently after the Supreme Court ruled that Seoul's revision of a local government ordinance easing development requirements around cultural heritage sites was lawful. But with politicians arguing that high-rises should not be built in front of Jongmyo, the project is again at risk of losing steam.
With the Supreme Court ruling on the 6th that Seoul's revision of a local government ordinance easing development around cultural heritage sites was lawful, Sewoon Zone 4 could now host a high-rise up to 142 meters. However, on the 10th, after the Supreme Court ruling, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok visited Jongmyo and said, "If, as Seoul says, a high-rise goes up right in front of Jongmyo, I worry it could block Jongmyo's sight, stifle its breath, and suppress its energy," adding, "Cultural development is needed that seeks sustainable harmony between historical value and development needs for cultural heritage in the city center, especially UNESCO World Heritage." The Korea Heritage Service warned that if Seoul pushes ahead with the plan, Jongmyo's World Heritage listing could be canceled.
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon rebutted, saying, "Don't just look at Jongmyo; I recommend touring the entire Sewoon Shopping Center area. Is it right to leave a city eyesore that can no longer be neglected in front of Jongmyo, which is visited by people from around the world?" Oh also said that in the mid-2000s, when a UNESCO heritage official visited Seoul, "(For Sewoon Zone 4) they said it could be built up to 122 meters."
◇ "Don't use Sewoon Zone 4 for political ends"… residents anxious over redevelopment delays
As the clash over redevelopment of Sewoon Zone 4 and Sewoon Shopping Center intensifies, residents and merchants worried that the project could be delayed. A person surnamed Kim in their 60s, who sells electronics on the second floor of Sewoon Shopping Center, said, "I used to do business in Yejidong, Jongno District, 20 years ago and moved to Sewoon Shopping Center because they said it would be redeveloped," adding, "Sewoon Zone 4 finished demolition but still can't start construction, so won't redevelopment of Sewoon Shopping Center take much longer?"
Residents of Sewoon Zone 4, who expected the pace of redevelopment to pick up after the Supreme Court ruling, are now on edge over the redevelopment dispute between the government and Seoul City. On this day, residents of Sewoon Zone 4 took to the streets holding placards reading, "The government should respect the Supreme Court ruling" and "Prime minister, do not use Sewoon Zone 4 residents for political purposes."
One resident of Sewoon Zone 4 said, "Sewoon Zone 4 is located on a side that is barely visible when viewed from Jongmyo's main hall," adding, "From the day after the Supreme Court ruling on the lawsuit between Seoul City and the Korea Heritage Service, people have been blindly calling for height limits and saying that (if redevelopment proceeds) the World Heritage listing will be revoked, but that is nothing more than speculation. Politicians are turning the land of Sewoon Zone 4 residents into an arena for political strife."
In particular, residents of Sewoon Zone 4 said they have suffered massive property losses because the redevelopment project has stalled. Jeong In-suk, a full-time member of the Sewoon Zone 4 residents' representative council, said, "It has already been three years since demolition was completed, but we still have not been able to start construction and we are bearing a monthly financial expense of 2 billion won," adding, "Since Mar. 2023, about 60 billion won in financial expense has accumulated."
Jeong, the full-time member, said, "Residents trusted Seoul City and embarked on the redevelopment project, tenants moved out, and monthly rent income was cut off, so we are barely getting by by taking out loans for living costs," adding, "If the Korea Heritage Service and the Culture Ministry block the push for Sewoon Zone 4 redevelopment and turn it into a political battleground, we will firmly pursue civil and criminal liability, including damages and abuse of authority."